


The Collection

by Kumohime



Category: Kimura Takuya - Fandom, NewS (Band), SMAP, Yamashita Tomohisa - Fandom
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-09-25
Updated: 2015-09-25
Packaged: 2018-04-23 08:10:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 19
Words: 21,061
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4869590
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kumohime/pseuds/Kumohime
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Girls have started to go missing and nobody knows where they are, who took them and who will be next. But Akane is not worried about that, she is worried about finishing her contract at the company she is temping at and not being too obvious about her feelings for her boss, Yamashita-san</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

_8.00 am: She goes out of her building and hurries over to the bus stop. Her long white flowing skirt moves about her legs. She's wearing a blue loose blouse and leather strapped sandals._  
She has a high ponytail. She will look much better in the yellow dress and with her hair down like she's supposed to. The bus arrives and she gets on it.  
  
_8.50 am: She arrives at the studio, she has rehearsals today. It will take 4 hours. She hurries inside. Time for me to go to work too._  
  
_12.30 pm: She comes out of the building. She walks over to the park 3 blocks away. She's with another girl, one of the other dancers._  
  
_She's very pretty, but she wouldn't look good in any color. They take out their lunches and eat while talking. Every time she smiles I can see her dimples. Yes, she is the perfect new piece. 20 minutes later they put their lunches away, stand up and say goodbye. Yellow walks the 5 blocks to the dance school where she teaches. Today she has 3 classes, so it'll take 4 hours and a half. She goes in. Time for me to go back to work._  
  
_Tonight, it will be tonight..._  
  
  
  
-Newscast-  
  
"The Collector has struck again. Another girl went missing. It is presumed that she disappeared 3 nights ago after being seen in a local restaurant. She was reported to be seen speaking with a man on the next table but they did not leave together. Masuda-san left on her own at around 9.30 and was never seen again. Masuda Takara-san, a 25 year-old dancer, was reported missing yesterday when she didn't show up for her job and nobody in her family could reach her.  
  
The police reported that they found the letter just as in the other cases saying that Masuda-san would be fine and taken care of and asking her friends and relatives not to worry. This is the 7th girl to go missing. Let's remember that at the beginning of last year, three women disappeared in 4 months and were never heard from again. Moriuchi Tami, a college student, was the first to go missing. Uchi Hiroko-san disappeared a month later and when the police found a second letter from the kidnapper, they suspected a serial killer. This was confirmed when the 3rd woman went missing. Kusano Hiromi, the 23 year old model, disappeared 2 months later. However, the kidnapper seemed to stop for almost a year. Everybody thought that the kidnapper had either stopped or been put in jail for another crime. Unfortunately, Nishikido Rin-san disappeared and the much dreaded letter was found. The next to disappear was our own Koyama Keiko, who went missing after recording a section of this program. The kidnapper didn't stop there. Five months later Kato Shigeko, an up and coming writer, was reported missing by her next of kin. Since no bodies were ever found, the media has been calling this individual "The Collector." But is he really "collecting" these women? Or is it that the bodies have not been found yet? We have Mr. Migawa here with us, an expert in profiling to explain to us..."  
  
  
  
"Break's over." Akane heard Mayu say.

"Oh come on," answered Hiroshi, "I want to hear the rest of it."

Mayu rolled her eyes and said, "You know the rest of it. The women are missing, nobody knows what happened to them and the only reason you care is because they are all hot."

Akane chuckled a little; they were really pretty, almost like real life size Barbies. She had seen Koyama Keiko on the news cast and Kusano Hiromi, the model, in ads and she had always thought they look like living dolls, waaay too pretty to be real.  
  
"Are you afraid you're next, Mayu?" Hiroshi said jokingly, "What do you think Akane? Do you think Mayu here might be next?"  
  
"Shut up, you jerk!" shouted Mayu "or I'll..."  
  
"I think it's time to go back to work and it's time you shut up, Hiroshi." Akane interrupted; if they got started they would never stop. And she really didn't think Mayu would be next, she was pretty enough but she never thought of her as a doll. What was she thinking? She told her brain to shut up and she went back to work.  
  
She made her way back to her desk. She had been working as a temp in the company for the last month, so she was a temp by day and an out of job clothes designer/maker by night. She was trying to save money so she could set up a little shop to sell her designs. She wasn't anywhere near that yet, so she sat on her chair and that's when she saw HIM. The best part of her job. He was wearing a black suit with a black shirt and a red tie and it look really good on him. He wore his dark straight hair short to the side and he had the darkest blue eyes. And well, better not get down to his body....  
  
It was the best part of her job and the best part of the job of every other female in the office, few as they may be. And he was a rare sight since he usually worked from home; it wasn't really common to see him more than 2, maybe 3, times a week. He came in saying hello to everybody. His walk was confident but not overly so. Akane sometimes thought that he may actually be a little shy. He was polite and even nice with everybody but he never seemed over confident with the women in the office, who, frankly, practically threw themselves at him.  
  
He finally made it into his office and Akane was ever so thankful of glass walls. Out of the corner of her eye (she refused to be one of the women drooling openly over him) she saw him take off his black jacket and neatly put it on the hanger. He sat down turned on his computer and got to work.  
  
"Well you better do the same thing" thought Akane to herself.


	2. Chapter 2

By the end of the day, Akane saw Makoto approaching Yamashita-san's office. She had taken off her jacket, and only had a very revealing red tank top. She was carrying some papers with her. As she walked by my cubicle she looked at me, smiled and said "Wish me luck!" I chuckled and said "Good luck" under my breath. She knocked on his door and went in. She walked up to his desk swaying her hips a little too much. Honestly, why did they bother? In the short time Akane had been there she'd seen many girls trying to get his attention and a date... or a night. It never worked. Makoto pushed some papers his way and pointed at something in them, revealing a LOT of cleavage while doing it. Yamashita-san didn't look. _Maybe he's gay_ thought Akane. He seemed a little uncomfortable. Well she would be too if somebody was pushing her breasts at her. Akane chuckled again and went back to work. Two of the perks of being completely unremarkable were that, since you knew that nothing was ever going to happen with your incredibly hot temporary boss, she could maintain her composure in front of the guy. The other perk was that serial killers, or kidnappers, targeting beautiful, doll-like women tended to overlook you. "Shut up" she told herself, "and go back to work or you'll never finish on time."

She hadn't even started when Hiroshi called her. "Hey, would you mind making copies of this and taking them to Yamashita-san for him to sign them? I really have to leave"

"Oh, come on. I'll never finish with my work. Why don't you give it to one of the other women here. They'll be happy to do it."

"They'd be thrilled to do it, but then they would go fix their makeup, fix their clothes, probably practice a few lines before even doing the copies." He did have a point there. "Please? Pretty please??"

Akane sighed and rolled her eyes. "Fine. But you owe me. Again." She grabbed the papers and went to make the copies. Some minutes later she knocked on the door and came in.

"Sorry, I have a few copies for you to sign." She said. He looked up and looked at her. He tilted his head a little to the right and gave a little frown then he shook his head gave her a little smiled and said: "yeah, sure come on in."

Oookaayy. That was weird, thought Akane.

"Sorry." He said. "I haven't seen you around much. I can't remember your name. That's why I was staring."

"Oh, that's ok." She answered. "I'm Kurogawa. Here, this is what you need to sign." She said with a smile.

"Thank you" he answered smiling back. Man! It was a nice smile.

"You're welcome" she answered and went back to her desk.

"That guy is impossible." Akane turned to her left and saw Makoto in her desk next to her.

"I wasn't trying anything"

"I know you weren't, but he's still impossible. He's probably gay."

Laughing, Akane answered: "Probably." And went back to work.

 

Takara was walking back and forth in the room. She'd been there for 6 days in that yellow room. She would have thought it was a nice room, albeit a little monochromatic. Her bed was, of course, yellow and its head was against one of the walls, right below it there was a hole that communicated to the next room, which was empty. To the right, there was a small table and two very comfortable sofas. Right in front of the bed, she could see the bathroom door. Yes, she would have thought it was a nice room if it weren't for the tiny and insignificant fact that she was chained to the fricking wall!

There were other women in other rooms. Apparently they all had different colors. Hers was yellow. She had awakened in a strange yellow bed staring a strange yellow ceiling and when she looked down she was wearing a strange yellow dress. It was fitted at the top with a bow at the back and it was flowy at the bottom. It kinda looked like a dress in one of those musicals from the 50's or 60's.

 

She would have thought it was beautiful, if it hadn't been a strange man who put it on her, after bathing her apparently, and if it hadn't been for the fact that she was CHAINED TO THE FRICKING WALL!

The other women had been there longer that her. Much longer, and she didn't understand how they could stand it. She supposed that the fact that they could talk to each other helped. It had helped her when she'd woken up.

But now she had another problem. The man had brought in her food and if Shigeko was right, and being the smartest she usually was, it was her turn with the drugged food. He didn't hurt them. He bathed them, cleaned the room, changed the sheets and changed their clothes to apparently another dress similar to the one they had on.

She had considered not eating but Keiko had told her it wasn't a good idea. Rin, the woman who had been there longer than any of them, had tried that at the beginning. The only result had been that she had starved herself and when she passed out, the man had come in, bathed her, cleaned the room, changed the sheets and changed her clothes to apparently another blue dress similar to the one she had had on. So she would be only hurting herself by not eating. And she was already very hungry. And it was her favorite, gyoza. It was always their favorite food when it was time for the drugs. Maybe it was to make it more difficult to resist. It didn't matter, she didn't want to eat. She could delay it a little longer. Maybe even pretend to pass out and try to escape? That hadn't work for Rin, who apparently had tried everything to escape. It hadn't work for Keiko either.

They had tried other ways of escaping, but the chain didn't reach the door. They could walk around a little and even go to the bathroom, but that was all the length of the chain would allow. So trying to surprise him at the door wouldn't work. Hiding wouldn't work. He could see them and know if they'd eaten or not. Maybe....

"Just eat" it was Rin's muffled voice. "You know it won't accomplish anything to starve yourself. We all have to eat and we all do eventually. So stop pacing around and eat!"

Her stomach was cramping. She wouldn't, she could hold on. She wouldn't, she could hold on...

3 hours later Takara started eating...


	3. Chapter 3

1 ½ months later

Akane was walking down the street and decided to walk through the park; she had been given the afternoon off so she had a little time before the doctor's appointment. As she was walking she heard a beautiful voice accompanied by a guitar. A few meters away a girl was singing and playing the guitar. A small crowd had formed around her. Akane walked closer and saw a pretty girl with an angel voice. And as she enjoyed the sweet melody she thought: "She's beautiful. She actually looks like a doll."

 

Same day, 1 hour later.

_3:15PM: I'm walking down the park. I decided to leave the office early and go back to the house. I miss them and it's time to take care of GREEN. I hear a voice. It's singing... I walk up to the small crowd around the voice and I see her. She has straight blond hair and she's wearing a black hat, a black and silver necklace. On her right wrist she's wearing a band with silver studs. Her large almond eyes are brown and have blue eye shadow and black eye liner. She's playing a guitar so I can't see the rest of her clothes but I know. I'm certain. She is PINK._

_3:18 PM: I move away from the crowd and find a place to wait for her to leave._

_4PM: She's alone now. She puts her guitar in the case and starts walking out of the park. I see the rest of her outfit. She's wearing a black tank-top with a colored skull on it, a blue denim mini skirt and black short leather boots. I follow her. She doesn't take any buses and walks leisurely for 15 blocks._

_4:40PM: She arrives at an old house and rings the bell. A young man answers the door, they greet and she goes in._

_4:42PM: A young boy dressed in jeans and a dark gray T-shirt arrives. He has a guitar case. He rings the bell. The same man from before opens the door. They greet and he enters. Band rehearsal?_

_7:30 PM: PINK exits the house. She starts walking. Again she doesn't take a bus and walks 17 blocks. She arrives to an old apartment building and goes in. She greets an old woman coming out of the building with a smile. Time to go home and start my research._

 

Akane was in her last month in the company. She would miss the job, it paid well and it gave her enough free time for her designs. It was her lunch time and she was walking to the park. Ever since the beginning of the week before she had been taking her lunch a little late and had been going to the park to eat and listen to the girl play the guitar and sing. In the last few days she had also seen Yamashita-san in the park. He always stayed apart and for a guy who looked like him, he certainly had a way to go unnoticed. He was dressed very casually and kept looking down. Sometimes he ate, sometimes it seemed like he was snoozing. After a while he would get up and walk away.

Okay it sounded as if she was stalking the guy, but she really wasn't. She just couldn't help but notice him. Anyway she never approached him or anything. He seemed to enjoy the quiet time, so she just left him alone. She was thinking about this and, of course, not paying attention to where she was going and she bumped into something... and someone. She hit her leg against a bench and the rest of her against a person. "Sorry, I wasn't watching where I was going..." The person looked up. "Yamashita-san! I'm sorry, I was just thinking and not paying attention and... Sorry." He gave her a quick smile but he looked really uncomfortable.

"I'm sorry... again. I'll leave you alone."

Akane started to walk away but he stopped her. "No, it's okay. You can sit here if you want."

"Are you sure? You don't seem very comfortable with that. I understand...."

"No. It's just that... well some of the women in the office can be a little..."

"Insistent? Dense? A little on the stalkish side?"

He laughed at that and it was a real laugh not the stiff smile he'd given her before.

"I don't know if I would put it like that but... yeah, maybe a little. You're..."

"Kurogawa Akane"

"Right, sorry..." Akane waved her hand to stop the apology.

"Don't worry. And it's really ok if you want to be alone. I usually sit on the other side."

"No. It's really ok. You don't seem... what was it? Insistent, dense and a little on the stalkish side. Have you been having your lunch here since you started working at the company? "

"Not really. Only these last two weeks. Last Friday I took this way after work and I heard her, since the weather's been really nice I thought it would be nice to have lunch here listening to some music."

"Yeah, me too. She does have a great voice."

"And she is nice to look at, which doesn't hurt, right? I mean she's a life size Barbie doll"

"I guess," he said, looking down and rubbing the back of his neck. He was uncomfortable, again.

"Sorry, sometimes I just blurt out things without thinking. I'll shut up and let you listen in silence."

"That's really okay," he said with a laugh.

After that they ate and talked and listen to the girl with the guitar.

Akane looked at her watch. "Oh, man! I'm late! I didn't notice the time. I have to go back or they'll kill me."

Yamashita laughed "Since I'm your boss I think it'll be fine. But I have to go too, so... I guess I'll see you in the office."

"Yeah, bye."

"Bye"

Then they both went their own way.

 

Sometime after that, Yuko put her guitar away and left the park. Nobody noticed the man following her.


	4. Chapter 4

"He'll bring her back, as usual, Keiko. Would you stop worrying?" Said Rin. Keiko didn't answer. She knew he had never hurt them and had always brought them back, so far, but she couldn't believe that this was all there was to it. She couldn't believe that all he wanted to do was feed them, bathe them and change their clothes. HE HAD to want something else. He had to, otherwise... well otherwise they were never leaving this place.  
  
At that moment she heard him open the door to the next room. She heard all the noises that had become familiar to her. He was putting Shigeko on the bed, went out closing the door. He opened the door again, moves about, probably leaving the pitcher of water and the purple plastic cup, no, it would be green for Shigeko. He went out the door and now she had to wait for Shigeko to wake up.  
  
Rin was right. It was pointless to worry but she couldn't help it. She worried about them all and especially for Shigeko. They had been each other's rock since he'd brought her, who knows how long ago. Sometimes it seemed years.  
  
"You think she's ok?" Keiko heard Takara ask.  
  
"For god's sake! We are always fine, aren't we? She'll wake up, just like we all wake up every single time." Rin's answer was rough as always, but Keiko knew that she was worried, that she always worried, just like the rest of them.  
  
"Sorry." said Takara.  
  
"That's fine." Said Rin and took a deep breath. "Just go to bed, the lights will be out anytime now."  
  
Keiko heard all of this but said nothing. She sat on the bed and waited for Shigeko to wake up.  
  
Sometime after the lights went out and Keiko heard Shigeko moan a little. She kept quiet and let her drink some water.  
  
  
  
"Are you awake?" Shigeko asked unnecessarily. She knew Keiko rarely slept until she knew the girl taken was really ok.  
  
"Yes. How are you?"  
  
"My head pounds like hell, I'm in the same god damned dress and... Oh, hey, my hairdo seems to be different." She couldn't be sure because they didn't have mirrors in the room, not even in the bathroom.  
  
"So you know, I'm great! Peachy!... Ugh I'm starting to sound like Rin, aren't I?" She heard Keiko laugh.  
  
"A little" she said and sobered up "You're right you know. He is humming. He was humming when he took you and when he cleaned the room and he was also humming when he brought you back."  
  
"And he was humming before he brought Takara"  
  
"And before he brought you. Rin says she doesn't remember if he hummed before he brought me, but you know how she is."  
  
"So he's bringing someone new. How many more do you think he'll bring?"  
  
"I don't know"  
  
"I think he only has 5 rooms, unless there is another floor of rooms. I mean all the rooms are connected and my room is only connected to your room. But that's not what worries me."  
  
"Then, what worries you?  
  
Shigeko was silent for a moment. Then she got on her knees and crawled to the hole that connected hers to Keiko's room. She made a sort of sound on the wall that indicated Keiko to come to the hole too. Shigeko waited until she could see Keiko's eyes and then said in a very soft whisper, so that the other women couldn't hear.  
  
"What will happen when his collection, because that's what we are, is complete? Will he keep us here forever? And what if he gets bored with just dressing and washing us?  
  
  
  
Akane was sitting on the park bench next to Yamashita, just as she'd been doing for the past week. He'd been going to the office every day, which was rare. The other employees said that it happened every now and then and Akane was happy it was happening now. They had gotten to know each other in that short period of time. They would take lunch together on the park bench and talk. They would also talk on the way back to the office, though he only did that twice in the last week. He said he had things to do and he came back to the office later or not at all.  
  
Anyway, Akane really liked Yamashita. And not because of how he looked, he was actually funny and kind and they talked about anything. Not that Akane thought anything about it. She knew the reason Yamashita went every day to the park wasn't their conversation or wasn't entirely their conversation. Even though he never ignored her or made her feel bad or uncomfortable, Akane knew that part of his attention was on the girl with the guitar. Akane knew he liked her, and she had realized Yamashita was shy even though he hid it. And she had to admit, even with a bit... well, a lot of jealousy, that they would look really cute together.  
  
Akane looked at him and sure enough he was looking at the girl.  
  
"You should at least try to talk to her, you know?"  
  
Yamashita looked at her surprised. "W-what?"  
  
Akane wanted to smack her forehead. She had the tendency to blurt out stuff around him.  
  
"Sorry, it's just that it's obvious you like her and I think you should talk to her"  
  
"No, it's not like that. I..." he stopped and looked down.  
  
"I doubt she would say no if you ask her out and..."  
  
"No" he interrupted her, "it's not like that. She has a beautiful voice and she is pretty but I don't like her like that. It's not... I mean... I don't see myself talking to her like I talk to you or going out. Really."  
  
"Sorry, again. I didn't mean anything by it; I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable... again. I'll try not to blurt out things like that anymore."  
  
"It's fine, I kinda like that about you, even if it's a little uncomfortable"  
  
Akane laughed with him. "So, any plans for the weekend?" he asked changing the subject.  
  
"Not really, you?"  
  
"Not really." He looked away and then looked at the girl, who was starting to sing a ballad. "I do have a project, but nothing really interesting. I might not be coming to the office next week."  
  
When she heard the last part, Akane was surprised at just how disappointed she was, but tried to hide it  
  
"Oh, well" she said "next week is my last week so..."  
  
"I forgot!" he said and Akane was surprise that he seemed disappointed himself.  
  
They stayed in silence for a while listening to the music.  
  
"Well, I have to get going. Are you coming back to the office?" Akane asked.  
  
Yamashita hesitated and then said:  
  
"No, I have to get started on that project. It's important, at least to me."  
  
"That's ok" said Akane, again feeling disappointed and hiding it. "I hope I see you next week"  
  
"Yeah, I'll try"  
  
They said goodbye and went their own ways as usual.  
  
Akane walked back to the office alone. Now she was 95% that Yamashita was, in fact gay. He had been so uncomfortable when she talked about the musician in the park. And the whole thing about her being pretty and all but not seeing himself dating her. It didn't matter to her, she hadn't had any angle, she hadn't been trying to seduce him or anything. She honestly liked his company. Probably that was over now.  
  
She went into the office and Makoto was waiting for her. And sure enough, the questioning drill began:  
  
"So, you had lunch with him today too?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
"And?"  
  
"And what?"  
  
"Are you two dating? Is HE dating YOU? I mean, he is actually dating YOU?"  
  
"Hey! What is that supposed to mean?"  
  
"No. I didn't mean anything bad. It's just that you never showed much interest. And you don't seem like his type"  
  
Oh, and you know what his type is? Thought Akane. She knew Makoto wasn't a bad person but she could be so self centered that she ended up being insulting. Not that she blamed her. Akane wasn't the type a guy like that would be attracted to, but Makoto didn't need to point it out.  
  
"Look," she said patiently. "we are not dating. There is nothing between us. We just sit in the park and talk while we are having lunch. That's all."  
  
"Did he admit he's gay? I mean he has to be. He never even looked my way, no matter how short my skirt is or how low I wear my cleavage."  
  
Ok, now Akane was really irritated. "No, he didn't say anything." She answered and then walked away. She really wasn't in the mood. She just wanted to go home and work on her designs and forget about everything. It was just a bad day. It had nothing to do with the fact that she probably would never have a conversation with Yamashita again. Really, it didn't.


	5. Chapter 5

Tegoshi Yuko was putting away her guitar and the money people had thrown into the case. She was humming a tune when she felt the hair at the back of her neck stand out. She turned around and all she saw were a couple of kids still playing and their mothers, and two couples walking holding hands. No one was paying attention to her and yet, for the last couple of weeks she felt as if she was being watched. It was stupid, of course, but that's how she felt. She wouldn't say anything, she knew the band members would tease her, saying that she already believed herself a big star followed around by paparazzi. She had to admit she could be a bit conceited, but she never did it on purpose. Yuko sighed and started walking so that she wouldn't be late for her part-time job.  
  
Unfortunately she didn't see the man following her.  
  
  
  
_7.30 pm: She arrives at the pub with two members of her band carrying the instruments and amplifiers. She laughs at something one of the men says. She's wearing the same outfit she wore when I found her. They go inside._  
  
_9 pm: The doors to the pub open. I go in and pick a table. It's hidden but so much that a man alone would draw attention._  
  
_9.30 pm: The band comes on to the stage. They start playing and she starts singing. I look to my right, oh right. I'm alone at the table, she should... NO, focus or you'll make a mistake. Not another mistake._  
  
_10.30 pm: The band finishes and they come down from the stage. I've studied them. They'll drink a little and then go. Pink usually leaves alone._  
  
_11 pm: Pink leaves first. I leave right after her, but I don't take the same path. I don't have to, I know where she's going and how she's gonna get there._  
  
  
  
  
  
"Why didn't I let one of the guys come with me?" thought Yuko. "Because there is nothing to fear" she answered herself. "You've walked this same path countless times, haven't you? Then what's the problem?" The problem was that tonight she didn't want to walk alone at night. Tonight...  
  
She shook her head, squared her shoulders and walked with resolute steps. Tonight was like any other night.  
  
She walked a few more blocks up to the small park she always walked through to get home. She always took this way, except it seemed darker.  
  
She looked up and saw that the light posts were out. "Of all the nights for the lights to be out, it had to be tonight." Yuko said with a sigh. She'd had enough. Even if she had to walk extra blocks in high heels with her feet killing her, she was taking the long way with more people and more light.  
  
It was too late. At that moment she felt an arm grabbing her tightly by the waist. She took in a breath of air to scream but that's when a hand pressed something -a cloth- on her mouth. Even in the darkness of the park she felt another darkness taking over her.  
  
"Shh, it'll be fine. Don't fight me. You'll be fine. You'll be where you are supposed to be." She heard the man say. She felt her body sag completely and a hand patting her hair and then everything went black, and she felt nothing else...  
  
  
  
  
Yuko opened her eyes. Her head was pounding a little. She looked around and it took a while for her to figure out what she was seeing. She was in a strange room. It was completely pink. Pink walls, a pink small table. On the other side she could see a bathroom. She lifted her head slowly and it didn't make the throb any worse.  
  
She sat up and looked down at herself; she was wearing a pink flowy dress with sparkles on it. The bed, the bed sheets and the covers were all pink too. She tried to swallow but her mouth was completely dry. She looked at the table and there was a glass and a pitcher. They were both plastic and pink.  
  
She got up but she did it too fast and got dizzy. Her legs gave out so she had to sit back down. The room started spinning and she put her head between her legs and that's when she noticed the chain attached to her ankle. It was metal but it was also pink. She started to hyperventilate. She had to calm down but couldn't. She tried to take steady breaths but she couldn't and then everything went blank...  
  
When she came to again it was to a muffled voice.  
  
"Are you ok? Can you hear me? Please answer"  
  
It was the voice of a girl. She tried to answer but her mouth was too dry and only a grunt came out.  
  
"If you can hear me, drink the water. It will make you feel better. Don't worry it's not drugged... I don't think. We think he is gone for now"  
  
Yuko got up and made her way to the table on wobbly legs and drank the water directly from the pitcher.  
  
When she finished the water she tried to talk again. "Who are you?"  
  
"My name is Masuda Takara, what's yours?"  
  
"Tegoshi Yuko. Where are we? Did you bring me here?"  
  
Takara gave a short and sad laugh. "No, I didn't bring you here. I don't know where we are, none of us know."  
  
"Us?"  
  
"There are 4 of us, 5 now that you're here"  
  
Yuko followed the girl's voice. It came from the wall where the head of the bed was placed.  
  
She kneeled and saw a small hole and behind it, the girls brown eyes.  
  
"Hello" She said.  
  
"Hello" Yuko answered. The girl smiled and looking at the other's eyes something happened; she couldn't stop the tears anymore. She started crying.  
  
"It's ok. It'll be fine" the girl said. "He won't hurt you; he's never really hurt any of us. I know it's a small comfort, but it's something"  
  
Yuko looked up and saw the other girl's hand coming through the hole.  
  
  
Yuko grabbed the hand offered while she kept on crying and felt Takara squeeze her hand tightly.


	6. Chapter 6

It was Wednesday and Akane made her way to the park. She didn't know why she was going. Yamashita hadn't been going to the office and she'd been having lunch alone. She really missed her talks, and silences, with Yamashita. Even the girl with the guitar was absent. She sat on what she thought of "their seat." It was stupid, she knew. They'd only had done that for 2 weeks. She sat there nibbling her lunch.  
  
"Hey."  
  
Akane looked up and she opened her eyes wide and she was sure that probably her jaw had dropped to her knees.  
  
"Yamashita-san." She said with a smile. "I thought you said you wouldn't be coming."  
  
"Yeah. Well, since it's your last week, I couldn't just not come, could I, Kurogawa-san?" He said with a smile, that smile that made you forget even your name.  
  
She saw him take out his lunch and they sat eating in a comfortable silence. He didn't say anything about the girl.  
  
"The only thing missing is the music." Yamashita stopped eating, nodded and started eating again.  
  
"I wonder what happened."  
  
Yamashita, swallowed and looked straight ahead. It took him a few seconds to answer. "Probably she just went to another park. I had never seen her here before, had you?"  
  
"No. You are probably right. So, how was that project? Did you finish it?"  
  
"It went well. It's not finished. It's more of a hobby that a project. I can't describe it."  
  
"That's okay. You don't have to. I'm just glad you came, I missed our conversations."  
  
Yamashita smiled again. "Me too. I'm working from home today but I felt like seeing you. I like our conversations too. I missed talking to you." He said looking at the floor.  
  
Ok, her heart was beating so fast because she must have developed a heart condition, NOT because of what he said.  
  
They both smiled. He, with that devastating shy smile and she probably smiling like an idiot.  
  
Lusting after your gay, soon to be ex-boss was not a good idea, so she decided to change the subject.  
  
"They are throwing me a farewell party this Friday."  
  
"The people in the office really like you."  
  
"They really like beer and parties. This is a good excuse as any." She said with a laugh.  
  
He laughed too and said: "There is that. But they really do like you."  
  
"Maybe you'd like to come." When he hesitated, she added: "You don't have to. I understand if you have something else to do, or you don't feel like it. I was just..." Yamashita stopped her babbling.  
  
"It's just that I don't feel comfortable at parties. Don't really like closed places with a lot of people. But I'll try," and then he looked up, set his big dark blue eyes on her and with a sideway smile he said: "I don't want to miss your farewell party." He went back to his lunch and she forgot how to breathe. She must have remembered how at some point because when they said good bye later she was still alive.  
  
  
On the way back to the office she kept thinking: "Just friends. He is gay, he is gay, he is g..."  
  
  
  
Yamashita got out of the shower and grabbed a towel. He dried himself and then rubbed his hair energetically with it. He got out of the bathroom and grabbed his black jeans.  
  
It had been a while since he had been looking forward to a party or any get together. He always made an effort with some of the after office gatherings because he had to, but it was always a hard task. He talked to people and tried to be polite but he didn't like it. It was hard to know what to say and he often just smiled and nodded but it was different with Kurogawa-san. She was easy to talk to, she asked questions but didn't press, she just listened to whatever he wanted to say and she was fine with what he didn't want to say and he thought that even their silences were comfortable. Yeah, he didn't want to miss her goodbye party. At the very least he wanted to say goodbye and thank her for their lunches together.  
  
He finished putting on his jeans and walked to his closet. He chose one of the dark red shirts and put it on. He left his bedroom and walked into the room that had his home theatre. He turned on the TV and immediately he could see them on the screen. Blue was lying on the bed on her side. She always crumpled her dress, but it's okay, he could always change it later. Purple was pacing and Green was sitting on the bed, they were talking. Yellow and Pink were sitting back to back even through the wall. Pink has fit in perfectly, he knew she would but he was still a little surprised. They were okay and they would be fine until he got back. He buttoned up his shirt, and left the room to get his jacket and his wallet. He grabbed his keys and left the house.  
  
  
  
It was the end of her last day and Akane was sad to leave. It hadn't been a long time but she had come to really like working with these people. They had immediately welcomed her and after all the part time jobs she'd had, she knew how rare that was. And of course she would miss her lunch breaks with Yamashita-san.

  
He hadn't gone to the office. She was so disappointed that she didn't even feel like going to the after office party anymore. Of course she had to go, she was the excuse.  
  
"Are you ready?" said Makoto. Akane nodded and headed to the door.  
  
They all walked a few blocks to the bar, sat at a table and ordered some food and beer.  
  
She was sitting next to Kimura-san. He was Yamashita-san's business partner. He was a really handsome man and his personality was much more open than Yamashita-san's. That was why he handled the employees, she supposed.  
  
When Yamashita-san wasn't around, women tended to flock around him. It was rather silly, if not embarrassing. Makoto was sitting at the other side of him. She had decided –and came to terms with it- that Yamashita-san was gay, so she had set her sight on Kimura-san. She was going to get a hot boyfriend or husband no matter what, apparently.  
  
"Well, I'll be damned," Akane heard Kimura say. "He actually came."  
  
  
  
  
Akane looked up and saw Yamashita coming towards the table. He was wearing black jeans and a dark red shirt that fitted him perfectly; the first 3 buttons were left unbuttoned showing off his long neck. He had taken off his jacket and he was carrying it in his right hand. He looked good enough to eat.


	7. Chapter 7

He felt uncomfortable already. Everybody was looking at him and he just managed to plaster his usual smile, the one he used to cover the awkwardness. He said hello to everybody and pretended they didn't look so shocked. He sat down and looked at Akane.  
  
"Hello." She said and smiled at him. That smile, Yamashita noticed, turned her from somewhat plain to pretty. Yamashita nodded in response. Then he noticed Kimura. He was looking at him and Yamashita could actually see his brain working. From him he looked surreptitiously at Akane and then back to him. It didn't matter, whatever he concluded would be wrong. There was nothing between the two of them. For whatever reason, he had never felt more than a little affection for people; he had enough with his collection now. Akane was nice and smart and he felt comfortable with her, which was rare, but she was still "people" and people never understood him. But she had been nice to him without expecting anything and had helped him get Pink, even if she had been unaware of that fact. A couple, not that he thought of them as a couple... but a couple eating lunch together was far less suspicious than a man sitting in the park alone every day, that's what he'd been thinking about the day she'd bumped into him.  
  
They spent a couple of hours eating and drinking. Akane and Yamashita didn't have opportunity to talk, which was a pity, they both thought.  
  
They all decided to go to a karaoke and as they were starting to leave Akane realized she had left her wallet and cell phone in the office.  
  
"Don't worry, you can go back and get it, it's only a few blocks and then you can meet us at the karaoke place." said Kimura.  
  
"I'll go with you. The building's empty, it's probably not a good idea for you to go alone." said Hiroshi.  
  
"Actually," interrupted Kimura. "Yamashita-kun, are you going to the office on Monday?"  
  
"What? Uhm, no. I was thinking I would work from home next week as well."  
  
"I see. Well there are some papers on my desk that I really need you to sign. Would you mind going with Kurogawa-san and sign them? It would really help me out."  
  
"Sure, I can do that."  
  
"Great, see you at the karaoke place." Then Kimura got close to Yamashita and whispered: "No need to hurry, though."  
  
  
  
Yamashita and Akane were walking down the street. She had felt awkward at the pub and wasn't sure she wanted to go to the karaoke place and she was pretty sure Yamashita-san felt the same way. But of course they had to come back; it wouldn't do for the both of them to just disappear together. Probably they wouldn't think anything of it anyway, though. Nobody seemed to believe Yamashita was interested in her as more than a lunch companion, which was true but bothered her a little. Well, maybe Kimura-san would think something of it. He had seemed to be very interested in them at the pub.  
  
They got to the apartment building and Yamashita opened the doors. It was an old building which they had restored to set up the office, so there were no other businesses there. Akane was glad she wasn't alone, with only a few lights on and completely empty, the building did look a little creepy.  
  
They called the elevator and got in.  
  
"I'm glad you came. Thank you." said Akane. "I know you don't usually come to this sort of things."  
  
"It's okay. I was having fun."  
  
"Liar." Akane said with a smile.  
  
"Was it that obvious?"  
  
"Only to the keen observer."  
  
"And..."  
  
At that moment the elevator stopped but they hadn't arrived at the 3rd floor. Yamashita pressed some of the buttons but nothing happened.  
  
"Can we call someone from here?" Akane asked.  
  
"No, we don't have a 24 hour service." Yamashita said and started patting his pockets. He didn't have his cell phone. That's when the lights went out. They were trapped in the elevator; it was Friday so no one would go until Monday. God, his dolls, he couldn't leave them for a whole weekend. What if something happened? What if one of them got hurt? Or there was a fire? Oh, god. This was his fault, something bad was gonna happen and it was all his fault. Another mistake, why did he always have to make mistakes?  
  
  
  
Yamashita was starting to hyperventilate. Obviously, he was having a panic attack. Akane got closer slowly and carefully put a hand on his back.  
  
"Yamashita-san," she said in the most soothing voice she could muster. "It's okay. We'll get out" The emergency lights kicked in. It was still dark but at least she could see a little. Yamashita turned around and in the dim light she could see the despair in his eyes.  
  
"It'll be my fault, my fault, my mistake." Yep, panic attack, he wasn't making any sense.  
  
"What will be your fault?" she asked.  
  
Yamashita closed his eyes and shook his head; then he crouched and started rocking slightly back and forth. She crouched next to him and said.  
  
"None of this is your fault."  
  
"I know, but if I'm not back..." then, as If catching himself, he stopped talking.  
  
"Okay then, whatever you have to do or wherever you have to be, it won't be your fault. You couldn't predict this; it's not your fault." She put her hand on his back and started moving it in circles. He started to calm down.  
  
"They'll come and get us" said Akane when he started breathing a little more easily. "They are expecting us at the karaoke place. When we don't show up they'll come looking for us."  
  
"Right, I'm sorry."  
  
"It's okay." Said Akane and started to get up but Yamashita grabbed her wrist and stopped her.  
  
"Would you mind sitting next to me for a while." He said looking up at her. With that lost puppy face she would have said no to very little.  
  
"Sure" she said and sat back down next to him. He scooted closer to her and said:  
  
"Tell me something, anything." When Akane frowned, he added: "It would take my mind off... things. Please?"  
  
Again, that lost puppy face. Akane started talking and told him every funny thing that had happened to her and, being so clumsy and a general mess, there were many.  
  
After who knows how long and after making him laugh, they were silent. Yamashita looked at her, serious again and said:  
  
"Thank you"  
  
"You are welcome." She answered and looked at him. They stared at each other and something in the atmosphere changed. Yamashita got closer until she could feel his breath on her face. His eyes went to her lips and she had to take a deep breath. He got closer...  
  
"Yamashita-san, Kurogawa-san!" It was Hiroshi's voice.  
  
They stayed still, without even breathing.  
  
"Yamashita-kun." Kimura shouted.  
  
Yamashita closed his eyes and looked down.  
  
"In here." He said and got up. He extended his hand to her and helped her up.  
  
"We are getting you out in a moment." Kimura said. A moment later the doors opened. Yamashita helped her out and then got out himself.  
  
"After an hour, Hiroshi-san here insisted we came down to see if you were ok. Oh here, Yamashita-kun, I found your phone on the floor of the pub, you must have dropped it."  
  
"Thank you, Kimura." He grabbed the phone and said: "I think I'm going home. I don't really feel like going to a karaoke place. Kurogawa-san, are you ok?"  
  
Akane was surprised, since they had been rescued from the elevator he hadn't even looked at her.  
  
"Yes, I'm fine."  
  
"Ok, then I'll be going." He nodded in their general direction and left.  
  
Akane was so confused. Wasn't he supposed to be gay? But he had been about to kiss her in the elevator and she had had to suppressed a curse when she had herd Hiroshi. It was probably the fact that she had helped him through his attack. That's why he had been so awkward afterwards. Yeah that was it. She would stop thinking about it... as if she could.  
  
  
What had he been doing? If Kimura and Hiroshi hadn't shown up he would have made a huge mistake. He would have kissed her, and then what? He couldn't start anything with her. He had the tendency of saying too much when he was alone with her. No, he wouldn't see her again, he wouldn't think about her anymore... as if he could.


	8. Chapter 8

It hadn't been a good weekend. Yamashita had enjoyed taking care of his collection as always but something was not right. He couldn't stop thinking about that almost kiss. Why? He had his collection finally complete and they were all perfect and he felt complete, or almost.  
  
He put on the oversized hoodie and covered his head with it. He grabbed the trays and went down the stairs to the doll house. He went to each of the rooms to give them their breakfast. First, Blue. She had stopped swearing at him around the time he had brought Purple but she was still a handful: she would mess up her dress and her hair the fastest and sometimes mess up with the room. That was okay, some dolls required more maintenance. Next was Purple. From time to time she still threaten that people were looking for her that they would find her. She really was adorable. Then it was Green's turn. She was usually quiet and she had the ability to calm Purple down. Next, he went into Yellow's room. He knew that she was still plotting ways of escaping, but it was safe today, she wouldn't try anything, there wasn't much to try. Then, came cute little Pink. She was still adapting but Yellow was helping. He came in quietly and left the tray on the small table. His mind started to wonder again. "What was he doing?" "what would have happened if they had actually kissed" Nothing. It couldn't go beyond that. It was just curiosity, not that he hadn't been with other women but he never felt comfortable with anybody until...  
  
"Can I at least call my mom? Just to tell her I'm fine and not to worry."  
  
Yamashita never answered their questions but she caught him unaware and something in her voice made him answer.  
  
"She knows you are okay." he said.  
  
"You are the one who leaves the letters, right?" Yamashita nodded. "But if I can talk to her she can be sure."  
  
"She knows you are okay and this is where you are supposed to be, I explained all that to her." With that Yamashita left the room. He had spoken too much. She had surprised him. If he could only stop getting so distracted.  
  
It was Wednesday today. Maybe if he went to the office he could get some fresh air and focus?  
  
He grabbed his keys and left his house. He lived an hour and a half away from the city and his was the only house for miles. No nosy neighbors who would try to talk to him. It was also close enough that he could commute. It was perfect. Her mother had loved the house and that's why she'd left it to him. He had moved in, given away her doll collection (as she's asked). He had been lost for awhile until he saw the first piece and he knew what he had to do: start a collection of his own.  
  
He arrived at the office, said hello and went into his office. He turned his computer on and stared at the screen, and stared at the screen, and stared at the screen...  
  
After several times of walking in front of Yamashita's office and seeing him spacing out, Kimura knocked on his door and let himself in.  
  
"Hey, how are you doing?" Kimura asked.  
  
"Good, you?"  
  
"Fine, fine. So, what are you working on?" Yamashita looked at the screen again "Wow, that screen must have the answer to all of life's problems; you've been staring at it since you came."  
  
"Sorry. I'm just... I don't know, just one of those days." Or weeks, he added to himself.  
  
Kimura stared at Yamashita. He couldn't just come out and say what he wanted to because Yamashita would deny it and just close up. So he went on another direction.  
  
"You want to make yourself useful? Would you mind playing the errand boy for a while?"  
  
"What do you need?"  
  
"I need you to deliver a last paycheck. I would send one of the guys but we are actually very busy and you seem like you could use the fresh air. I'll give you her address. It's silly but it'll really help."  
  
HER address?? Of course, she was the only employee that he knew of that would be receiving a last paycheck.  
  
Yamashita frowned. "I don't know. It sounds like anyone can do it."  
  
"You are right." He immediately said. "I just wanted you to get some fresh air. No worries I'll tell Hiroshi to do it. You know, I think he likes her. The night you got locked up in the elevator he kept checking the time and he was the one who insisted we came to the office looking for you two. Yes, that's better, he'll be happy to do it."  
  
Yamashita knew what he was doing, and it was working.  
  
He stared at Kimura. He was holding the envelope in his hand.  
  
"I know what you're doing." Kimura waved the envelope in front of him.  
  
Yamashita got up and grabbed the envelope.  
  
"The address is in the envelope." Kimura said with a smile in his voice.  
  
  
It was 5:30 in the afternoon and Akane was still in her black pajama bottoms and her old red tank top. And she had her hair tied up with a pen. She was working on one of her designs and she was sewing like crazy. She heard her door bell ring. Who could it be? She ran to the door and opened it. Her eyes opened and she was pretty sure she dislocated her jaw when she saw the person standing at her door: Yamashita-san.


	9. Chapter 9

"Hi" he said.  
  
Akane shook herself "Hi" she answered.  
  
"I just came to bring you this." He showed her an envelope with her name on it. And still she kept staring at him like an idiot.  
  
"So, um, here." He said extending the envelope to her.  
  
"Oh, sorry" Jesus, was it just her or was she forever apologizing to him? "Please come in."  
  
He looked about to say no and bolt, but in the end he nodded and came in.  
  
"Um, would you like something to drink?"  
  
"Sure." He answered.  
  
She was trying hard not to stare at him. Finally she looked up and caught him staring at her.  
  
  
  
Yamashita drifted his eyes around the house and pretended she didn't just catch him staring. His eyes landed on a room that looked like a mess. He went closer and looked inside. It was filled with fabrics, there was a sewing machine and... were those dolls?  
  
Akane came running to the room. "It's not usually this messy; I'm working on some clothes."  
  
Yamashita nodded and went to the dolls and hesitantly grabbed one.  
  
"Um, yeah my little collection. I told you I was a designer. Well I like to design for dolls. People tend to think I'm kidding when I tell them, so I just say I'm a designer and nothing else." Yamashita was silent. "These are my models. They are way less demanding that flesh and blood models and they are better listeners too..." What did she just say?? "Not that I talk to them... much. I mean yeah, I talk to them, but they don't answer back or anything and I don't expect them to... I... I'll shut up now."  
  
Why couldn't she just shut up? Thought Akane. "I'll get the tea." Great, now he thought she was a maniac. She went into the kitchen defeated. She had wanted to talk to him so that she could maybe convince him to resume their friendship.  
  
"Kurogawa-san? I better go" Yamashita said.  
  
"Okay" Akane said. "But first..." How could she put it? "Look, I know that this is kinda weird now, but I do miss talking to you, without feeling like an idiot or crazy, and maybe if you want we could still see each other and talk. Aside from the dolls I'm quite normal... well no, I'm not..." She was babbling nonsense, but she couldn't stop. She took a deep breath and said "I know after the elevator you were uncomfortable, I know you're not interested in me that way and the reasons are entirely your problem, not mine. So maybe if we can still be friends... I'm glad that kiss didn't happen... I mean, not that I didn't want to, I did" Why couldn't she just shut up??? "I did want you to..."  
  
And then he grabbed her wrist, brought her closer and kissed her. Well that shut Akane up. She was so surprised she didn't even kiss him back. Wasn't he gay? He was, wasn't he? He deepened the kiss, released her wrist and then his hands were on her hair, her back...  
  
Holy! His hands didn't seem to be gay. Oh, who the hell cares thought Akane and kissed him back.  
  
  
  
Yamashita pushed Akane against the kitchen counter. This is not why he had come but it was happening anyway. If there could be someone who might actually understand him, it might be her.  
  
And even though he had wanted to run from there, lock himself at home and forget about her, he now knew he couldn't.  
  
  
Yamashita was thinking all this and Akane was thinking... nothing really. But at some point she was taking his shirt off and she was glad that the part of her brain that thought of that was still functioning. Jesus, if he had looked good in his clothes, MAN did he look good without them. The same part of her brain that had told her to undress him, told her to move from the kitchen and lead him to the bedroom. And since it apparently had very good ideas, she listened to it.  
  
  
  
  
"She got him to talk to her?" asked Rin in a loud voice, "how the hell did she manage that?"  
  
"I don't know. I just asked and he answered" answered Yuko for the 11th time.  
  
"But I have been here for... months, I never got a god damn word out of him. How did YOU manage it?"  
  
"I don't know" shouted Yuuko "Have you tried to stop yelling and swearing and asking in a nice way for a change?" Yuuko knew she wasn't being fair but Rin had been drilling questions nonstop and in a voice so loud that even she, who usually couldn't hear more than a mumble from her, could hear her clearly.  
  
She didn't know why he had answered. She had only asked the same question she'd been asking since he'd brought her.  
  
"And it's not like the answer was much help."  
  
"Well something changed. If someone who hasn't spoken to us in months talks to Yuko it must be because something's changed" Yuuko still didn't recognize the voices, except for Takara, who was right next to her and Rin because she had a particular accent.  
  
After that nobody else spoke. Takara sat on the floor and put her head back against the wall she shared with Yuuko. She heard a small bang on the wall and knew Yuuko had done the same as her.  
  
"Ne, Yuuko. Do you think Shigeko is right? That something has changed?"  
  
"I've only been here a few days, so I don't know."  
  
Right, Takara though, she had talked so much with Yuuko that she tended to forget they only met a few days ago and only through a wall.  
  
"I wonder if a change is good or bad"  
  
Yuuko answered and her voice sounded small and tired, very tired.  
  
  
"I don't know, Takara. I wonder that too."


	10. Chapter 10

The sun had already set and the room was illuminated by the light of the street and the neon lights.  
  
Yamashita and Akane were lying in bed facing each other. Yamashita grabbed a lock of her hair that had fallen on her forehead and put it behind her ear. Akane opened her eyes and smiled.  
  
"So... I guess you're not gay, then? Or was I just an experimentation phase?" She said with a little frown.  
  
"What?" squealed Yamashita.  
  
"Okay so... no?  
  
"No, I'm not. You really do blurt anything that comes to your mind, don't you?" He said amazed.  
  
"I know. I'm usually not this bad. It gets worse when I'm with you. I'll try to stop."  
  
"Don't, I think I like it. I don't have to wonder what you're thinking, you always tell me."  
  
Akane smiled and squirmed a little closer to Yamashita.  
  
"Why would you think I'm gay, though?"  
  
"Well, I've seen women throw themselves at you and you've never seemed interested. And then, that time when I asked you about the girl in the park," Akane felt Yamashita tense a little but ignored it and kept on talking. "You said you liked her but couldn't see yourself dating her so... I figured... I don't know I guess I got carried away by office gossip."  
  
"They think I'm gay at the office??" He asked opening his eyes to outrageous proportions.  
  
"Well, some of the women say that, but I think it's just to make themselves feel better about the fact they couldn't get your attention." She pulled back a little until her face was leveled with his and said: "Want me to go back and set them straight?"  
  
He laughed. "No, that's ok." He put his hand through her hair and brought her closer to him and kissed her socks off... well IF she had been wearing socks, anyway. With the hand he still had on the back of her head he angled her and deepened the kissed. Akane sighed and melted into him. And that's when her stomach decided to growl.  
  
Yamashita chuckled with his lips still on her. Akane wrinkled her nose and said: "Sorry, I guess I worked up an appetite."  
  
Yamashita chucked again. "See, I always know what you are thinking and how you feel, I never have to wonder. And I could e..." And that's when his stomach decided to growl. The both started laughing then.  
  
"Come on," said Akane while reluctantly leaving the bed and got her clothes back on. "Let's rummage the kitchen and see what we can find."  
  
Yamashita followed her into the kitchen. Unfortunately, she noticed with a little disappointment, he had put his jeans back on. Fortunately, he didn't have his shirt on leaving those incredible biceps and... yep those awesome abs. "Focus" thought Akane.  
  
Yamashita was looking at her; he put his head to the side and asked: "What were you thinking."  
  
"That I was glad you left your shirt off." He lifted his eyebrows and looked down at himself. "Are you still glad I blurt everything out?" She asked.  
  
"Most definitely." He answered with a sideway smile. "And I'll try to remember you like this look."  
  
Akane laughed, she seemed to be doing that a lot today and so did he.  
  
"Come on, feeding time." Akane turned around so she didn't see his smile falter. He had forgotten his responsibilities. What if...  
  
Yamashita stopped the thought right there. He couldn't just leave now. He would eat with Akane, and then explain that he had work in the morning and then leave.  
  
He followed her to the kitchen and helped her prepare the food.  
  
They were sitting at the kitchen table, eating with the TV on but they weren't paying attention to it. They were talking and sometimes one of them would reach out and kiss the other. It was the first time, for both of them, to feel completely at ease with a person of the opposite sex without feeling judged or just awkward.  
  
Then, Akane turned her head towards the TV. She gasped and dropped her fork.  
  
"Oh my god."  
  
Yamashita frowned and looked at the TV to see the picture of a girl. Akane turned up the volume.  
  
"Tegoshi Yuuko, (Age 24), was confirmed as the latest victim of The Collector. The police confirmed finding his signature letter inside her apartment. It is presumed that she was taken between Wednesday and Thursday last week..."  
  
"I can't believe it." Yamashita said nothing. What could he say that she would understand? "I feel bad I didn't say anything when she never came by the park anymore."  
  
"What could you have done? Go to the police and say that a girl you didn't know had stopped going to the park? I mean you didn't even know her name. There is nothing you could have done."  
  
"I know. You think that guy is telling the truth? When he says that he won't hurt them?"  
  
"He is." He said. Akane looked at him. "I mean, I'm sure he is. Why else would he leave the letters?"  
  
Akane nodded and turned off the TV. They kept eating but the TV report had reminded Yamashita that he had responsibilities.  
  
After they finished eating he said: "I have to get going."  
  
"Oh, okay." Akane said and Yamashita couldn't help but notice the disappointment in her voice. He was disappointed too. He really wanted to stay.  
  
"I have to work tomorrow and..."  
  
Akane stopped his apology. "I understand. Just call me whenever you want to get together." As always, she didn't push, she didn't ask or demand. Looking at her he couldn't stop himself from kissing her. It started soft and sweet but soon it became deeper and more passionate and soon they were both breathing harder.  
  
"Akane?" Her name sounded so good in his lips.  
  
"Yes, Tomohisa?" What do you know, his name sounded good on her lips, too.  
  
"I really don't want to go." She smiled up at him. Her hands went from his hips to his stomach and ended up locked on his neck.  
  
"Then stay a little longer." She said softly. She stood on the tip of her toes and kissed him. Yamashita eagerly kissed her back.  
  
He put his arms around her and lifted her up and started taking her back to her bedroom.  
  
  
I can stay for one more hour. Thought Yamashita. Or maybe three.


	11. Chapter 11

Yamashita knew he had to leave, it was already late. He had fed his dolls well, but he had been gone for hours, yet he couldn't make himself leave. He was on his side with his arms around her with her back against him and he relished the warmth of her body. They had both fallen asleep a few hours ago but he had woken sometime ago and he had been watching her sleep and hearing her breathe. It was REALLY time to go. He sighed and buried his face in her hair. Finally he forced himself to get up. He moved slowly so as not to wake her. He started picking up his clothes. He had finished pulling up his pants when he heard a ruffling on the bed.  
  
"Are you sneaking out on me?" Said Akane in a sleepy voice but she was smiling. Yamashita smiled and shook his head. Akane put her head to the side and said: "Oh, look, you are wearing my favorite look."  
  
Yamashita chuckled a little. He got closer and gave her a quick kiss. "Go back to sleep."  
  
"What time is it?"  
  
"4 am. I really have to go. I'm sorry."  
  
"That's okay, but it's late. Will you be okay going out at this hour?"  
  
"I'll be fine, don't worry. I'll call you tomorrow, okay?"  
  
Akane smiled and said "Okay."  
  
Yamashita gave her a final kiss and put on his shirt and jacket. He gave one final look at her sleeping figure. She opened one eye, smiled and waved at him. He waved back and left aware of the big grin on his face.  
  
About an hour later he was home. He went into his viewing room and turned on the screen to check on his dolls. He zoomed in on each one of them to make sure they were okay. He decided to let them sleep and give them a big breakfast. Coming back from Akane's place and watching his dolls he was totally at peace. It had only been one night, so far, but already he wanted (maybe needed?) Akane in his life. Maybe he could talk to her and explain, make her understand. He had never met anyone like her, maybe she would understand. Then again maybe not. What if he had to choose?  
  
  
Yamashita sighed. He didn't have to make a decision now. He went into his room. He should be tired, but he wasn't. He decided to take a shower, even though he liked the scent of Akane on his skin. He got in the shower and closed his eyes and let the water wash over him.  
  
  
  
  
Yuuko woke up hungry. The man hadn't come back last night for dinner (or what she thought was dinner since it came some time before the lights were out.) She was starting to worry in spite of the other women's assurance that sometimes this happened and that he always came back. But what if something had happened to him? What if he was lying in a hospital bed or worse, in a morgue and never came back? If nobody else knew where they were, she and the other women would starve to death. God, please be ok.  
  
She hated wishing well to the man that had taken her away from everything she knew, but what choice did she have?  
  
She heard footsteps. Was it him? It was him. She heard him go in into every room. It was her turn again, last time it had been Takara, so it was her turn again to be taken.  
  
She heard him leave Takara's room and she prepared herself. They had all agreed she would try to make him talk again. Shige thought that since she had gotten him to talk to her before, she might succeed again.  
  
She didn't want to talk to him, but the others had discussed that if she could manage to befriend him, he might give her more freedom and she could get the others out or get help.  
  
Yuko knew that she could act all sweet and cute so that most people did what she wanted. God knew she'd done it before to her boyfriends, her friends... her mom. The door opened and the man came in.  
  
He was wearing the oversized hoodie as usual and all she could see were his lips. He had nice lips, she noticed, full and well shaped. He might be handsome under that hood. And he seemed young, not much older than her. She took a deep breath.  
  
"Is it my turn?" She asked in a small voice as he was starting to leave. The man didn't answer but he didn't keep on walking either.  
  
"If... if it is, may I ask you for something?" He is still giving his back to her but he turns his head a little. He was listening. Yuko hadn't planned what to say, she hadn't really believed he would talk to her again. What? What could she ask? Then it came to her.  
  
"When you tie my hair. Could you not do it so tight? The pins hurt and I have to loosen them and I end up messing my hair."  
  
He turned around and set his head to the side. After a few seconds he nodded once and left.  
  
Yuko let out the breath she didn't know she'd been holding.  
  
"So?" came the voice of Takara after the man footsteps disappeared.  
  
"He didn't answer. But he did listen and nodded." She answered after going to the hole connecting the rooms.  
  
"I think that's still good." Said Takara. "Why did you ask him that?"  
  
"Well, first of all I couldn't very well ask him to let me go right away. It's better if I start small. With some people it's better to start small and get their trust little by little and then get what you want."  
  
Wow, the little brat knew what she was doing, thought Takara.  
  
"Yeah, I know" said Yuko, as if reading the other girl's mind. "I sound a little like a manipulative bitch, but I'm really not that bad, I swear."  
  
"I never thought of you as a bitch." Takara said.  
  
"Brat, then."  
  
Takara smiled, honestly was the girl reading her mind?  
  
"Ok, maybe a bit. But I don't think you're bad at all. And second of all?" prompted Takara.  
  
"Oh, it really does hurt when he puts up my hair with those pins so tight. I guess I might be getting one thing I want."  
  
Takara laughed. How could she laugh in a situation like this?  
  
"I'm sorry you ended up here, but I'm glad it's you on that side of the wall Yuko."  
  
"I feel the same way."


	12. Chapter 12

And so the days turned into weeks and then turned into months and winter had come. Akane had gotten a job designing clothes. She was actually getting paid for designing clothes. She was working for an online shop that sold customized and rare dolls and she was in charge of designing and sometimes making the clothes. She was still with Tomohisa and even if he sometimes seemed far away and would not see her for days, he did always call to talk, their relationship was getting better. Yes, he was a little peculiar, he never took her to his house, he had this project of which she knew nothing about, but, hell, she was peculiar too so who was she to talk.  
  
Her phone rang, it was him. Even after these months her heart still sped up every time he called.  
  
"Hi" She answered.  
  
"Hi. Where are you? Are you close to my office?"  
  
"Um, yeah, actually. About 15 blocks, I think."  
  
"You feel like having dinner with me?"  
  
"Always. I'll be there by the time you get out."  
  
"Okay, but come inside, it's supposed to rain today and it's cold." Then they said good bye.  
  
It was close to 6 and she entered. She got in the office, she said hello to everybody. There were a few new faces and a few changes in the office. There was something that hadn't change. Tomohisa was in his office with a girl who was making him sign some papers and showing a lot of legs and even more cleavage.  
  
Wow, huge déjà vu there. He even had that awkward expression she remembered from when she was still in the office. And it was the only thing that stopped her from going in there and starting a good old fashion catfight. Well that and Tomohisa's huge smile when he saw her. He gave the papers back to the girl with a thank you and even though he was polite he didn't really give her a second look. And now Akane's heart was making crazy somersaults. She might need to visit a cardiologist if this kept going, honestly.  
  
He opened the door just as she was getting to it.  
  
"Hi." He said and gave her a quick but firm kiss. "Come in, just give me 5 minutes and we'll be off." She would have given him anything he asked at that moment so 5 minutes were easy.  
  
It took him a little longer to be ready, so everybody had already left by the time they left his office and went to the elevator.  
  
"Maybe we'll get locked up again." She said and then she remembered his panic attack and wanted to kick herself. However, Tomohisa was smiling, and he got closer to her to kiss her.  
  
"I certainly hope not." said Kimura, who had come after them and had gone unnoticed until then. "You know, Yamashita-kun, I'm still waiting."  
  
"Waiting for what?" Tomohisa asked as Akane frowned.  
  
"My thank you. If I hadn't sent you to her apartment with the check you would still be moping around staring at the computer screen."  
  
"I wasn't like that... but thank you." Was he blushing?  
  
"Yeah, thank you." Akane added lacing her fingers through Tomohisa's.  
  
"You are both most welcome." He said with a smile and giving them a mock bow.  
  
The elevator arrived and they got on it. They got off on the ground floor and Kimura said:  
  
"I could make you pay me back by inviting myself to have dinner with the two of you but I have my own date so you are off the hook. BUT I do want to be the best man at your wedding. See you." And with that he left them. Akane's jaw hit the floor and when he looked at Tomohisa he wasn't much better. He did, however, recover before her.  
  
"Come on let's get out of here. You wanna go somewhere or back to your apartment?"  
  
"Umm, what do you want?" She asked. She wanted to go back to her apartment where it was cozy but she didn't know how he would feel about that after Kimura's little comment.  
  
He looked outside and it was pouring rain.  
  
"Your apartment. The rain won't let out for a few hours and I feel more comfortable in your apartment."  
  
She smiled, relieved.  
  
"Me too."  
  
They got to her apartment and prepared dinner. They were silent. Yamashita didn't know what to say. It was what Kimura had said. It's not that he didn't like the idea of marrying her in the future. It was the fact that he didn't know if he could or if he should. He really couldn't have her move in with him and he couldn't move in with her and just disappear for most of the day.  
  
"I don't expect you to do anything about it, you know?" She suddenly said.  
  
"What?"  
  
"About what Kimura said. I don't expect... I mean, you haven't said much and I was afraid you might think my biological clock started ticking or something and start freaking out or something..." she looked down at her food then.  
  
"I'm not freaking out. It's just... There are things about me I can't tell you. I keep waiting for you to say you've had enough of me and leave and I couldn't even blame you. I disappear for days; there is stuff I can't tell you..."  
  
"Tomohisa?" She interrupted and waited for him to look up. "I know all that and I don't mind. If I was gonna leave you because of those things, I would have done it already. I understand you have your own things and some day you may want to share them with me and if you don't I'll be fine with it. As for telling me EVERYTHING, I don't expect you to. I mean there are things I don't tell you." He lifted a disbelieving eye brow. "Okay, I do tend to blurt out everything but I never said anything about the skeleton in my closet, have I?" She stopped abruptly open her eyes and then looked down. Yamashita saw her shoulders sag.  
  
"The skeleton in your closet? Is that figurative speech?"  
  
She looked up with the look of a puppy just caught chewing on its owner's favorite shoes and it looked too adorable on her.  
  
"Not exactly." She said and shut up. He didn't ask. She didn't push him to say anything and he would answer in kind, but he was really curious.  
  
She took a deep breath and let it out. "I used to have this roommate. She was a med student and she had a skeleton to help her study anatomy. She moved out and she was supposed to take him but she never did, so Mulder is still in the back of the closet in my workshop."  
  
Did she just call the skeleton a HE? And... "Mulder?" He asked.  
  
"Yeah, she had a skull too. I started calling the skull Scully and the skeleton Mulder. She took Scully tho."  
  
Yamashita started laughing so hard tears started rolling down his cheeks. Soon she was laughing too.  
  
"God, I love you." Yamashita blurted out. Akane sobered up.  
  
"W-what?"  
  
Yamashita looked down then he looked back up and looked straight into her eyes. "I love you."  
  
Akane flew at him and kissed him senseless. "I love you too." She said and kissed him again.  
  
After a few moments Yamashita thought it was a good idea to take this conversation into the bedroom.  
  
Sometime after that, Yamashita was lying next to Akane's warm body. She was fast asleep and he could hear the rain still going on outside.  
  
He had been drawing random patterns on Akane's arm with the tip of his fingers.  
  
  
_Would you understand, Akane? Would you really understand?_ He thought. Then he closed his eyes, buried his face in her hair and let sleep come.


	13. Chapter 13

Akane woke up to the sound of the rain. She stretched and that's when she noticed that Tomohisa was still next to her. She looked at the clock, it was 7 in the morning. She was surprised he was still there. When he went to the office and her house he was usually gone by that time. Yes, she did know that was odd and she had pondered about it. She had thought he might be married, but she dismissed that. She would have heard about a wife in her months in the office. Other theories included vampires, werewolves and the idea that he might be superman in disguise, but since the news weren't plagued by the news of a man of steel she stopped imagining and hoped he would just tell her some day.  
  
Anyway, she was happy he was still there. She looked at him, lying in her sheets, his was partly uncovered and even though Akane was enjoying the view, it was rather cold even inside the apartment. She grabbed the covers and covered them both and then wrapped herself around him. She felt his arms coming about her and holding her close.  
  
"You woke up" He said  
  
"Yes. I think you overslept."  
  
"No, I woke up some time ago, but it was raining too hard for me to leave." Akane repressed it, but she did feel a little disappointed that that was the reason he had stayed. "And you were all cute and warm and I just couldn't bring myself to leave the bed and go into the cold." He added nuzzling her neck. Okay, that made her feel better.  
  
"You still have to go, tho?"  
  
He sighed and said: "Yeah, and soon."  
  
"Okay, then let's have some breakfast before you do."  
  
They had breakfast and then Akane walked with him to the door.  
  
"Are you sure you have to leave? You are gonna get soaked just by going to your car."  
  
"I'll be fine. I'll call you later." He said and put his lips on hers and lingered there. "Bye."  
  
"Bye."  
  
  
  
Akane had been right, he had gotten soaked going from her apartment to his car even with the umbrella. He had turned up the heat in his car but he was still freezing, so he was very glad when he reached his house. He went in and debated between taking a hot shower of seeing to his dolls first. He looked at the watch, 9:30. He had been away too long. He changed his clothes and got the food, he would take the shower afterwards.  
  
He went down the stairs and put on the hoodie and then covered his head and he started his round right about Purple's room he started sneezing.  
  
When he got to Pink's room she talked. She had been talking to him all those months, so he wasn't surprised anymore.  
  
"I thought you'd forgotten about us." He didn't answer. "I'm glad you are back." He sneezed again. "Are you okay?" She asked in a sweet voice. He nodded once and left the room. He really needed that hot shower. Shivering a little he made his way up the stairs and into his room he removed his clothes and got into the shower. After that he felt a little better but after working at his computer he was tired. He went to bed.  
  
He woke up at 1 and got up. His head hurt a little and so did his muscles. He took two aspirins and prepared the food. He didn't drug any of the plates; he wasn't feeling up to it.  
  
When he got up again, he was definitely worse. He got up out of habit and went into the kitchen. Prepared the food and went down the stairs. He went through every room. He sensed them looking at him but none of them talked. Except Pink.  
  
"Are you okay?" He nodded. "You don't seem to be." He felt a hand on his. He didn't hear her approach; he must be really distracted, he hadn't noticed he had gotten so close to her. Her hand was cold he noticed.  
  
From under the hood he looked at her. She released his hand and tentatively reached his face and touched him gently.  
  
"You have a fever." She said. The room was spinning a little now. "You need to go to bed and you need someone to take care of you."  
  
Her face was a little blurry; the lights were stinging his eyes.  
  
"I can do that if you let me. Then I'll come back here but you can't be alone. It's okay, I'll take care of you." She moved her thumb on his cheek. He was so tired and everything hurt.  
  
"A-Aka..." he stated to mumble but then his sight sharpened for a moment. It wasn't Akane. He shook his head a little and stepped back then he left the room unsteadily.  
  
Unsteadily still he walked up the stairs and went to his room. He found his cell phone and dialed.  
  
  
  
Akane answered the phone.  
  
"Hello."  
  
"Akane, it's me. I- I need you. Please come."  
  
"Tomohisa? What's wrong?"  
  
"Will you please come? Don't tell anybody but please come."  
  
"Of course I'll go. Give me the address." She wrote down the address and left. She ran down and got into her car.


	14. Chapter 14

This was her chance; she had to convince him to let her go. He hadn't looked good before and he looked worse now. She was actually a little worried about him but dismissed the idea, the last thing she needed, that they all needed, was for her to start developing Stockholm syndrome or something.  
  
Then he shook his head and left. She sank to the floor. She had failed.  
  
"Yuko." It was Takara's voice. "Yuko what happened?"  
  
Yuko got closer to the wall. "I'm sorry. He left. I thought he might... but he left. I'm sorry."  
  
"It's not your fault, Yuko. We all knew it was a long shot." They had agreed that Yuko would try to become his friend but it had failed.  
  
"So? What happened?" Shouted Rin.  
  
"He left, Yuko is still here." Answered Takara.  
  
"Well, so much for that idea. I knew it! Just another disappointment"  
  
"I'm sorry. I really thought I could do it" said Yuko.  
  
"It's not her fault. She tried and it didn't work, it's more than what you've done." said Takara.  
  
"Nobody blames Yuko for anything, right Rin?" Said Keiko in a conciliatory tone.  
  
"Yeah, sorry." said Rin. "I'm just frustrated with everything."  
  
"What now?" Keiko asked.  
  
After a few seconds Rin answered: "We could hope for him to die and then try to break the fucking walls to get out."  
  
"Break the wall?" asked Takara in disbelief.  
  
"Well, the chains are strong and we can't reach the door, but the walls are thin. They have to be for us to be able to talk to each other."  
  
"I think we should wait to see if he comes back, if he doesn't, we might as well try Rin's idea."  
  
"So we wait," said Keiko  
  
  
"We wait." Echoed Shigeko  
  
  
  
Akane finally got to the address, it wasn't easy to find. She got off the car and went to the door. She found the spare key where he'd told her she'd find it.  
  
  
She went in and looked in the rooms until she found him. He was lying on the bed still in his red t-shirt and black jeans. Akane ran to the bed.  
  
"Tomohisa? Can you hear me?" He moved his head towards her voice but didn't open his eyes or answer. She touched his forehead, he was scorching hot and his breathing was labored.  
  
"I need to take your clothes off and put you to bed, can you help me?" With a big effort she managed to remove the t-shirt and the pants and somehow got him under the covers.  
  
She ran out of the room and started looking for the kitchen. The first door she opened lead to a stairway, _the kitchen wouldn't be in the basement_ she thought and moved on. Finally she got to the kitchen. She opened a cabinet door, glasses. Another, some plastic plates and plastic cups in different colors. In the third she found what she was looking for: a big bowl. She opened the fridge and she was relieved to see ice cubes in it.  
  
She went back to his room, filled the bowl with water and put in the ice cubes. She went back to the side of the bed and with a towel she dabbed his forehead, face and neck. Then she applied cold towels to his wrists and ankles. She had to get the fever down.  
  
She looked at his face, it was flushed, his lips opened to take in air and his eyes were moving behind his eyes.  
  
She combed his hair with her fingers. "You'll be fine. I'm here." she said and kissed his forehead.  
  
  
  
Akane spent the next day getting his fever down and then trying to feed him some soup. He was much better now, but he was still asleep. In the second day his fever went down considerably, though it was still high. He was breathing much better, too.  
  
  
She felt hungry, so she went into the kitchen to make herself something to eat. Tomohisa was much better so she figured she could spare some time to look for something to read while waiting next to his bed until he woke up. She hadn't seen any books in his room, maybe he had a studio? She opened a door. Wow, it wasn't a studio it was a home theatre with a huge screen and a big sofa that looked like the most comfortable thing ever...  
  
  
  
  
Yamashita woke up. Everything hurt and even lying down, he felt weak. He moved his head tentatively. To his left he saw Akane sitting on a chair. She had bags under her eyes. He could remember bits and parts, her pressing a cold towel to his forehead, her talking to him.  
  
She looked exhausted now. He tried to speak but his throat was too parched and it sounded more like a croak. Akane looked up and saw he was awake. She immediately stood up and got him a glass of water. She helped him get his head up and held the glass for him.  
  
"Thank you." He said. She smiled a little.  
  
"How long...?"  
  
"You've been out for 3 days."  
  
"3 days?" he had been sleeping for 3 days? He had to get up. He tried to, but Akane put her hands on his shoulder and pressed him back down on the bed.  
  
"You are not well enough to be walking around yet" she said. She looked exhausted and weary? Probably just exhausted, if she'd been taking care of him for 3 days straight. "But," she continued. "You are well enough that I can go back to town to get some things." She hesitated and added "aren't you?" He nodded. He didn't want her to go but...  
  
"I'll be back soon. Do you want me to help you get to the bathroom, get a bath?"  
  
"No, I'm fine, really. Go, you must be sick and tired of being locked up in here."  
  
She got closer and kissed him sweetly. "I'll be back in a little bit." She kissed him again and left.  
  
She must have been very tired because she wasn't talking as usual.  
  
Yamashita heard the car leaving. He had to get up.  
  
He went into the bathroom. Slowly. He was weaker than he thought.  
  
He took a shower. After 3 days, how had Akane put up being next to him?  
  
The shower took longer than he expected. He made his way into the kitchen and set about fixing food for his dolls. He had to hurry. It hadn't been a good idea to call Akane here but he had needed her and he was so happy she had come to help him.  
  
  
"I've already fed them."  
  
Yamashita froze. No, no, it couldn't be...


	15. Chapter 15

Akane found the home theatre and she wasn't about to sit and watch a movie but she had never seen a screen that big. What could it hurt to turn it on so see how things looked? When she turned the TV on she saw them. At first she didn't know what she was looking at and then she focused on each frame. Women. It all came to her when she recognized the girl from the park. At first all she could do was sit down and stare. He brain was having problems processing all the info. Her first impulse after that had been to call the police. She didn't see a phone so she went back to the bedroom to get her cell phone. There, lying helpless on the bed was Tomohisa. His hair was tousled, even though his fever had gone down he was still a little flushed and his mouth was a little open to let the air in and out. She dropped her cell phone. She couldn't do that, not when he was lying there helpless. Her next idea was to let the women go and take them back to town herself, but there wasn't much difference with calling the police. No, she couldn't do that, not after what they've been through and after two days of... Oh, god, those women hadn't eaten in two days!  
  
Right, first was getting them food. When she opened the cabinet door she understood the plastic plates. Each room had its own color and each of them had its own plate and cup. She found trays and then started looking for the way to the rooms. She finally found a door that had a flight of stairs. At the bottom, she found a hoodie. It was a good idea to put it on, she supposed.  
  
Where to start? She decided to go to the furthest room. It was the Blue one. As soon a she opened the door she heard the voice a woman yelling:  
  
"You bastard! Were you trying to starve us? Why the hell would you that, you pie..." The woman stopped as soon as Akane came into view. "Who are you? Where is he? Who are you?" Akane didn't answer, she wasn't about to tell the woman her name. She would most definitely try to help but she didn't know if she wanted to be involved. So she just left the tray and hurried out. A similar interaction, minus the insults and the yelling, was repeated in all the rooms.  
  
The last room was the Pink room. She had left it for last because it was more difficult to face the girl from the park. Te- Tegoshi... Yuya, no, Yuko. Somehow, having seen her out side, playing the guitar and singing, made this harder. She took a deep breath and entered. She had probably heard the commotion in the other rooms so she was waiting for her.  
  
The girl didn't say anything, just watched Akane wide eyed. Finally she said.  
  
"You are not him. Sorry, that's pretty obvious. But you are a girl." Akane just nodded. It was more difficult to ignore a familiar face. "What happened to him? We... I was worried when all this time went by without him coming. Is he okay?" Okay Akane was confused. The shouting and the other questions she understood. It was only natural, but this girl was worried about him? Maybe he didn't just watch them...  
  
"Is he?" The girl asked in a sweet voice. Akane nodded. The girl nodded back.  
  
"We... we miss our families, our friends. We are grateful he took care of us but.... We miss the outside." There were tears in the girl's eyes but she didn't let them fall. Akane swallowed a lump on her throat and nodded. "Will you please help us?"  
  
"I'll try." Said Akane and left before she ended up consoling the girl.  
  
  
  
Yuko heard the door close and the steps going away.  
  
"Well what did she say?" Asked Takara.  
  
"That she will try to help us."  
  
"What did she say?" Yelled Rin.  
  
"That she would try to help us." Repeated Yuko louder.  
  
"That's it? Who was she? Where is the guy?"  
  
"I don't know! If I started asking so many questions she wouldn't have said anything. I did ask about him, she just said he was okay."  
  
"Too bad." Said Rin  
  
"So? We keep waiting?" Said Keiko.  
  
"What else is there to do?" Answered Shige.  
  
  
  
"I've already fed them." Said Akane. "You can leave that and go back to bed, you are not well enough to be up. Like I said I've already fed them. We can talk in your room." She grabbed his hand and led him to his bedroom.  
  
"Akane..."  
  
"What do you do with them" He looked down. He didn't know how she would take this or what she was thinking. But she hadn't called the police and... she had taken care of the dolls? "Tell me. They look clean and well taken care of. Those dresses..."  
  
"I put them on..."  
  
"And..."  
  
"I do their hair..." He had to tell her he supposed."I bathe them."  
  
She nodded, there it was: "I thought as much. They are all beautiful and... "  
  
"That's all I do, I bathe them and dress them. I don't do anything else with them. I mean, they are not.... I mean they..."  
  
"Are dolls?" He looked at her then, surprised. She went on: "There are 5 of them, but 8 went missing. Where are the other three?"  
  
He looked down. She might understand the dolls in the room but she won't understand this. He only shook his head.  
  
"Are they dead?" He nodded. "Did you kill them? Tell me." He nodded still looking down. He took a deep breath. It was time to tell her everything and let it all play out...


	16. Chapter 16

"It all started when my parents died in that car crash. Well, I was always different but it got worse after that. Then I saw the first Purple"  
  
"Moriuchi Tami?"  
  
"Yes, she died because of a reaction to the drug. It was the first time I did it, so I didn't know I had to check their medical records. She had a condition and was taking a medication that didn't mix well with the drugs I gave her. She got worse and worse and finally died. I was so sorry. I AM sorry. Uchi Hiroko and Kusano Hiromi were already here, but I didn't bring anyone new for a very long time. I learned to look into their medical records, I hack their doctors computers and make sure I wouldn't hurt them with the drugs. Then Uchi tried to escape. Again, it was my mistake. I was careless and she managed to escape, she ran off. I followed her but she reached the highway before I did. She saw me and started running faster. She didn't see the car coming. The guy just kept going but I took her and buried her. I told Kusano, she had met the other two girls; I had introduced them, so I thought she should know. That was another mistake. She managed to kill herself. She broke her plate and cut her wrists."  
  
"So that's why now the plates and cups are plastic."  
  
"Yes. I was devastated and didn't want to continue. I stopped and even thought about destroying the rooms."  
  
"Did you built and paint them?" She asked  
  
"No, my mom did. This was her house before she died he had a huge collection each room with a different theme. And I have no idea why I have to collect the dolls, I just do. So don't ask me, I can't answer."  
  
"Okay, I won't. When did you start again?"  
  
"About six months after Kusano-san's death, I was walking down the street and I saw BLUE. I knew she was BLUE. Again, I don't know how I know, but I do. Before I knew what I was doing, I was following her. I found out who she was. I told myself I wouldn't do anything about it. But I couldn't stop thinking about it and this time I knew what to do, I knew what not to do and how to take care of her. So I hacked into her medical records and fixed the blue room so that she couldn't hurt herself. She was an escort, so it wasn't that difficult to get a date with her under a false name. Then I found Purple, and Green and well... you know. "  
  
They were silent for a while.  
  
"What are you going to do?" Asked Yamashita  
  
"What if I told you I was going to call the police?"  
  
"Well, I guess I could stop you, but I don't think I can bring myself to hurt you. I mean, I love you so I wouldn't hurt you. On the other hand if you were going to call the police, you would have done it by now, wouldn't you?"  
  
She looked up and gave him a sad smile. "I guess. I love you too, and I know you don't want to hurt them, so I don't want to call the police, but this is wrong."  
  
"But I found them. They are mine now. I found them."  
  
"That's exactly it. You didn't find them, you stole them and stealing is wrong, right?"  
  
"What?"  
  
"Yes, they aren't yours; you took them, from their families and friends. There are people who miss them and you took them from them. You have to return them. I'm not asking you to decide right now. Just think about it. I'll leave you alone..."  
  
"I don't want you to go."  
  
  
"You have to be alone to think. I'll be waiting. Call me whenever you want but I can't stay." She went over to him and sat in the bed next to him and grabbing his hand said: "I'll stay tonight to make sure you are all better and leave in the morning." He reached over and kissed her softly on the lips, then he lied down, put his arms around her and hugged her close to him.  
  
  
  
  
Akane had already left and he was sitting in his viewing room watching his collection. Akane was right, of course. He had never thought of it like that, but he supposed he did steal them. Still he knew they were supposed to be his. It was clear Akane wouldn't come back as long as he kept them, if she didn't call the police. If she did he would end up with nothing, without his collection and without Akane. If he got rid of his collection, would Akane come back? She had seemed honest when they talked and she seemed to understand. There was always the possibility of giving Akane her own room; he had always thought she would look good in red, even if she wasn't a doll...  
  
He pictured his life without Akane, his life without his collection. He couldn't even contemplate a life with neither. After thinking and thinking, he knew what he had to do. He took a deep breath and got started.  
  
  
  
  
Rin was going out of her mind. She hated waiting and there was really nothing else she could do. She had tried everything to escape. She had even tried bringing down the wall but the furniture was just too heavy for her to pick it up and do any real damage. Using her bare hands was out of the question. Wait, just wait. She heard noises outside. Lunch time, apparently.  
  
It was the man. So he was really okay, bummer. She wanted to scream at him but what was the point. He left the food and left. So everything was back the way it had been she though with a sigh. She looked at the food and went back mentally... not her turn, she went and ate.  
  
A few minutes later she started to feel dizzy. The feeling was familiar but it was impossible, he never, ever broke the pattern. The feeling was intensifying. Rin went to the wall she shared with Keiko.  
  
"Keiko! I'm not feeling so well."  
  
"What is it?"  
  
"I- I think he drugged me." There were a few seconds of silence.  
  
"But it's not your turn."  
  
"I know that. What is going on?"  
  
" Don't know. Maybe he is starting over? Maybe he lost track."  
  
"I don't like this. Keiko I'm scared. I don't want him to take me." Her voice was wavering and she sounded terrified even to her own ears.  
  
"Rin," Keiko said trying to be reassuring, but there was a hint of fear in her voice. "It'll be okay. He always brings us back unharmed.... Rin... Rin?"  
  
  
Rin had passed out on the floor next to her bed.


	17. Chapter 17

Keiko was pacing her room. He hadn't brought Rin back yet. He is taking longer than usual. Much longer.  
  
The hours, or what she thought were hours, ticked by and still no sign of Rin nor the man.  
  
"What do you think this mean, Shige?"  
  
"I don't know, it's weird. He's never done anything like this before." It wasn't a question, but Keiko answered anyway.  
  
"No. And Rin was really scared. I am too. Ever since I got here he never broke the routines. He always followed the order. Why change now?"  
  
"I don't know." Said Shige. She was worried too. If what she thought was right...  
  
They heard the man coming. He brought their food, but not Rin. She wanted to ask him, but they had decided that only Yuuko would try to talk to him, so she bit her tongue and said nothing.  
  
She was scared of eating. She knew that whatever he was doing, she would be next.  
  
She took a deep breath and started eating. Nothing happened for the next 4 meals. Still no Rin.  
  
Breakfast time. Keiko ate and the now familiar feeling of the drugs kicked in.  
  
"Shige" she said "It's my turn"  
  
"What? No!"  
  
"It's a new pattern, right? You have to figure it out and get out."  
  
"With two people? How can I figure out anything from that?? And how is that going to help you?"  
  
"It was really nice meeting you. Maybe we'll meet again. Bye"  
  
  
Keiko wasn't going to fight it. She closed her eyes maybe, probably, for the last time.  
  
  
"Kei-chan. Kei-chan, please, don't fall asleep, please." Shigeko started pounding on the wall.  
  
"Shige? What's wrong with Kei-chan?" came the voice of Yuko but Shigeko ignored her.  
  
"Kei-chan, answer me!"  
  
"What is it? Kei chan?" That was Takara.  
  
Shigeko stopped pounding on the wall and fell to her knees. Then she heard the sound of the man coming and started again.  
  
"What are you going to do to her? What did you do with Rin?" Of course the man didn't answer. He went into the room and took Keiko out.  
  
"Come back. Bring her back!" She kept shouting in vain. The other two girls were shouting too now.  
  
Shigeko felt moisture on her cheeks, she was crying. She would be next and she had no idea how to stop it, how to stop any of it.  
  
And her turn came. She refused to eat but she fell asleep and the man came in, used a needle to drug her and took her. And now only Takara and Yuuko remained.  
  
"He'll come for me now." Said Takara. Yuko said nothing. There was nothing she could say. "But I won't make it easy. If he wants to take me, he'll have to fight me."  
  
Takara said she was strong, but still Yuko didn't think she could take the man. She was hungry and tired and no match for him.  
  
Yuko had tried to talk to him, but nothing.  
  
"Here." She said giving Takara some of her food. Since it wasn't her turn, hers wouldn't be drugged. The man would see it sooner rather than later and drug Yuko's food as well.  
  
"Thanks. Everything is so silent."  
  
"I know." And then, maybe because there wasn't anything else to do, Takara started humming a song. It took Yuko a little while to recognize it through the wall, but in the end she started singing along. Their voices melted, Takara with a sweet voice and Yuko doing the high notes, their voices went up and down and by the time the song ended Yuko heard Takara crying. She tried to fight the tears. She took a deep breath.  
  
"Go to sleep, Takara, I'll keep watch."  
  
It took several seconds for Takara to answer.  
  
"No, the first shift is mine. Go to sleep, I'll wake you up if he comes... Yuko?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
"Thank you. You.... I..."  
  
  
"I know," interrupted Yuuko. "Me too."  
  
  
Yuuko woke up to Takara's frightened voice.  
  
"Yuko? Yuko wake up, he's coming."  
  
Yuuko woke instantly and heard his steps.  
  
"Please, don't take her!" she shouted. He was at her door, he was opening it.  
  
"I'm not gonna make it easy for you." Yuko heard Taka scream. She heard struggling and grunts. Then Taka let out a scream, it was desperate, frustrated and frightened at the same time and then nothing.  
  
"Taka? Taka! No no no, please no!" the man was leaving the room. "Bring her back, please bring her back!" but the man was gone and she was alone.  
  
  
  
Yuuko was sitting up on the bed hugging her knees to her chest. She was all cried out by now and she just stared, sometimes, at the wall, the pink wall, sometimes at the ceiling... the pink ceiling.  
  
He had taken Taka some time ago, a few days counting the times the lights had gone out. She wondered when the man would come and take her. She wondered if he would keep her, and she didn't know what was worse. She had been eating little, just enough to get the edge off her hunger and she felt weak. She missed Taka, she missed all of them. She even missed Rin's swearing through the wall.  
  
The man was coming. She looked at her almost untouched food. This was it, she could feel it. She didn't have it in her to fight him and she hated that but still couldn't help it.  
  
The man came in. He had a syringe in his hand. Yes, this was it.  
  
"What did you do to them? What are you going to do with me?" She stood up. She wasn't going to fight him but wasn't going to cower either. She didn't expect him to answer since he had ignored her these past days, but she was wrong:  
  
"Would you believe me if I told you I let them go?" he asked.  
  
"Probably not."  
  
"Then I guess you'll have to wait and see what happens to you."  
  
She hated him at that moment, but he was right, she probably wouldn't believe anything he said, not after hearing Taka's struggle and screams.  
  
"Why did you take us? And why do this now?"  
  
He put her head to the side.  
  
"Well you belonged here. You are you. You are Pink." He said as if it should have been obvious, as if all that nonsense made any sense. "And I can't keep you because I have something else I need more."  
  
Yuko was done asking questions they were getting her nowhere. She looked down to the floor and the man said:  
  
"Turn around." She hesitated. "I can force you, but I really don't want to."  
  
  
She sighed and did what he asked. One of his arms came around her waist. She felt him kiss her hair and then felt the needle on her neck.


	18. Chapter 18

Darkness. That's all there was. Darkness. Was she dead? No, her head hurt too much. She opened her eyes and it was still dark. She started to panic but then her eyes started to adjust and she saw... a swing? She blinked. Her headache was starting to subside. She sat up, slowly, lest she brought the headache back. When the scenery stood still she could see she really was in a park next to the swings and then she saw a figure coming closer. It was followed by two other figures. The first figure started running towards her.  
  
"Yuko?" She heard it say. The figure reached her; it was a girl of about her own age. "Yuko, are you okay?"  
  
Yuko recognize the voice first.  
  
"T-taka?" She asked and the girl gave her a huge smile flashing two dimples on her cheek and hugged her. Yuko hugged her back.  
  
Taka helped her up and helped her support her weight, since she was still a little woozy. The other two figures had reached them by then. They were both smiling. One of them had dark hair the other had a lighter shade and was very tall, she was dressed casually but she looked sophisticated.  
  
The taller one came closer still smiling and hugged her. "I'm so glad you are okay." She said.  
  
"Kei-chan?" The other woman smiled wider and nodded, then she put her arm around Yuko's shoulder and Yuko felt putting her head on her shoulder was the most natural thing in the world. She looked at the fourth woman. She was close but didn't attempted to come closer.  
  
"Who are you?" Yuko asked.  
  
"Shigeko. Kato Shigeko." She answered. Yuko was the one to go close and hug her.  
  
When she pulled away the four were crying.  
  
"It's nice meeting you all." Yuko said.  
  
They lead her to one of the benches and gave her a coat.  
  
"You can rest here for a while 'till you feel better, then we'll have to go to the police." Said Shigeko.  
  
"How did you know where to find me? And why isn't the police already here?"  
  
Taka was the one to answer. "Well, I remembered you told me where he had taken you. You see, he left us all in the place where he took us. As to the police. Well, Rin and Keiko figured that out, but Keiko convinced Rin not to say anything."  
  
"I figured that if the police was there he would stop releasing the rest of you, or even worse, hurt you."  
  
"Wait. Where is Rin? Is she? Did he?"  
  
"She's fine." Taka said. "She said she needed to get away, that she wanted to move on and to do that she needed to go away. She is living with friends out of town apparently."  
  
Yuko nodded. "I'm so glad you are all alright." she said and her voice broke. The others were crying too. They all got close and locked in a group hug. They would be alright, they would get over everything and they would still have each other.  
  
  
  
  
Akane was sitting in her kitchen. She hadn't talked to Tomohisa since she'd left his house. Maybe he didn't want to see her because she had made him leave his collection. Well, he had done the right thing in the end, she supposed that was good. Still, in spite of everything she missed him so much.  
  
The phone rang. She answered without much hope.  
  
"Hello?"  
  
"Hi." Her heart started beating faster.  
  
"Tomohisa. How are you?"  
  
"I'm fine." Tomohisa answered. "Are you busy? Can you come over? Would you mind coming over?" He sounded insecure but she smiled and said: "Of course."  
  
  
  
She arrived at the house and saw Tomohisa sitting outside. She stepped out of the car and went to him. He seemed relieved when he saw her.  
  
"I didn't know if you would come." he said.  
  
"Of course I would come back. I missed you."  
  
"I gave them back." He said  
  
"I know."  
  
"I haven't dismantled the rooms yet, but I will and you can help me figure out what to do with them and..." Akane stopped him from saying more with a kiss.  
  
"We'll take care of it later, you've done enough."  
  
That was all they said, what else could they say? They just hugged for a long time and then Tomohisa led her inside.


	19. Prologue

The police had no clues. The women couldn't say much since they had been inside the rooms the whole time and they had been completely drugged when taken outside. So basically the police were looking for a male between 20 and 35. The women had seen a woman once; the police theorize that it might have been one of the first women to go missing, who, due to trauma, might be helping him but that was about it. The case went cold after 5 months with no clues and no new witnesses.  
  
It was six months later and Akane couldn't believe they were getting married. It wasn't a big wedding, just a few friends and her family. She was grabbing her small bouquet when she heard a knocking on the door.  
  
"Come in."  
  
"Is is okay if I come in or is it bad luck?"  
  
Akane laughed. "That's only for the groom, not the best man."  
  
Kimura came in and gave her a kiss on the cheek.  
  
"You look beautiful. I'm very happy for you two."  
  
"You should be, you've been pushing for this all along." She said with amusement.  
  
"Pushing? No, just giving a little nudge here and there. But seriously, I'm so happy and a little relieved."  
  
"Relieved?" she asked with a frown.  
  
"Yes. I've been watching Yamashita-kun for a while and I was worried about him, always so serious and detached. But when he met you... He is still a loner in a way, but I can see he is happy. That is all you, you know."  
  
"No, not all me. He's done a lot to change." Kimura had no idea how much.  
  
"Well, anyway," he said going back to his lighter self. "I expect you two to name your first child after me after all I did for you."  
  
"What? I thought your payment was being best men!"  
  
"That was for sending Yamashita to your apartment. This is for pushing... nudging for this wedding. Okay, you guys didn't need much of a push but I did get you guys the rings."  
  
Yeah, before Tomohisa had even proposed, thought Akane. After that Kimura left before she could answer.  
  
Then her father came and walked her down the aisle to where an extremely edible Tomohisa waited for her with a huge smile.  
  
  
  
They decided to go to a little seaside town for their honeymoon. Neither of them was crazy about big cities and they stayed at this beautiful hotel with the most wonderful view. They would stay up late on the beach talking with their arms around each other  
  
"Do you wish you never gave them back?" She asked one of those nights. It was the first time they talked about them since she came to his house all those months before. The rooms were still intact, they hadn't figure out what to do with them and they'd been too busy.  
  
Yamashita put his cheek against her hair and thought about her questions. "I do think about them sometimes, but you were right, they weren't mine to take. And I'm happy with you. So no, I don't wish that."  
  
She moved so she was facing him: "Are you sure?"  
  
Yamashita looked right back into her eyes and said: "Yes. I love you." Then he kissed her and as usual that ended any effective conversation.  
  
They only had a couple more days before they had to go back. That day he woke up and the bed was empty. He looked around and he saw her standing by the window and looking out. He got closer and put his arms around her.  
  
"What do you want to do today?" he asked.  
  
"Mmhh, I don't know. If we stay here you wear my favorite look." She answered wiggling her eyebrows.  
  
He laughed. "When we get back home I can wear that look whenever you want but we should see a bit more of the surrounding villages. We have to have photos to show for our trip."  
  
"That's probably a good idea. Okay, where can we go?"  
  
They decided to go to a small village a few kilometers from where they were staying. It was amazing. They bought some crafts from the local people and went into every open building or site. There were a few other tourists taking photos. They walked around holding hands. They finally arrived at a temple. It seemed open and they decided to go in.  
  
They were already inside when they realized that there was a funeral inside, even though there seemed to be only one woman present. She was dressed in black and with her back to them.  
  
"Are you here for the funeral?" They turned around and they saw the monk who had asked the question.  
  
"No. We are sorry to interrupt." Yamashita said in a muted voice, he didn't want to disturb the mourner who hadn't seemed to have notice them. "We are in our honeymoon and we are sightseeing. We didn't realize there was a funeral going on." The little man nodded with a sigh.  
  
"Yes, I understand. There aren't many people here. You see the woman who died was not well liked. The whole family wasn't. They are said to be witches. I know it might sound silly for you but people here are still very superstitious. Therefore, only her granddaughter is here. Poor girl. She is disliked as well so she has no friends to support her in this time of need." Yamashita thought that the monk was a bit talkative. Well, being a man of god didn't prevent you from being a bit of a gossip. But the man seemed to be good natured so Yamashita let him go on. "And to make things worse, her grandmother was the only family she got left. Such a sweet and smart girl too, it's a shame she most probably have to leave the town to have any kind of life." Then the man seemed to catch himself, a bit too late thought Yamashita with amusement. "I'm so sorry. You must think I'm a big old gossip... I admit that I am a little. One must always admit to one's flaws. But I'm sorry I'm talking like this, and you said it's your honey moon, well if you want to come back tomorrow I'll be happy to show you the temple."  
  
"We are leaving in a few days so I don't think we'll be coming back to the village, but thank you." Said Akane. At that moment the woman mourning got up from her knees and turned around. Yamashita saw her. She was pretty, tall and had shiny long hair and she would look good in...  
  
No, no. He was not going back to that. He hadn't lied, it was enough to have Akane, he didn't need anything else. He closed his eyes and turned around.  
  
"Thank you again. We won't take anymore of your time." He said.  
  
"You are most welcome." Yamashita took Akane by the small of her back and led her out. At their backs he heard the monk say: "Yes, Keina-chan, I'll be right there, dear."  
  
He would be okay as soon as he left the temple. She tighten his grip on Akane, he needed to feel her close. He started walking faster.  
  
"Tomohisa?" Akane said.  
  
"What is it Akane?" he asked, but didn't stop walking.  
  
Then, she stopped him waited until he looked at her and said: "She would look good in Purple, ne?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was my first story ever, I wrote it back on 2012.  
> Comment and let me know what you think!


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